If FOX’s goal in relegating FRINGE to one of the most competitive time slots in the history of television — that of 9PM on Thursday up against GREY’S ANATOMY, CSI and to a lesser extent SUPERNATURAL — was to make executive producers J.H. Whyman and Jeff Pinkner try harder, well then mission accomplished.
Last night’s first part of FRINGE’s two-part season finale which had Olivia and Walter round-up a group of Krypto Cortexiphan Freaks Patients in an effort to transport themselves to the Alternative Universe and rescue Peter — who thanks to a very-Rambaldi-reminiscent document (ALIAS FTW!) may-or-may-not be used by those on the Other Side as a weapon to destroy our world — was one of the most exciting hours of television the series has produced to date.
In fact, from the fantastic cold open that gave us a front seat into the Alternative Universe Fringe Division comprised of a very sexy Olivia, a very alive Charlie (Kirk Acevedo), and a very intimidating “Colonel” Broyles (complete with trusty sidekick Astrid), to the emotional reunion/breakfast between Peter and his real mother while his morally ambiguous father (The Walternate/Mr. Secretary) was off potentially plotting our universe’s demise, our only problem with the episode (aside of course from having to wait until next Thursday to find out what happens next) is that we’re not quite sure which side we should be rooting for when the inevitable Walter vs. Walternate showdown occurs!
Admittedly, our Walter sure has come a long way from his do-anything-in-the-name-of-science roots to the kind, albeit still-slightly-off-his-rocker scientist we’ve come to know and love. That said, it’s pretty hard to cheer against a universe in which Martin Luther King was President, THE WEST WING is still on the air (see photo below), and a far more entertaining Olivia chooses to unwind from a long day of plugging holes in the universe with a little Fringe science of her very own (Read: Studying what happens when hotties collide, courtesy of a surprise hook-up with a shirtless gentleman who looks suspiciously like a younger version of John Scott.)
Decisions, decisions. 
